Grooming: A Case Study

In recent years, legislation recognizing the grooming of a child for the purposes of sexual abuse as a criminal offense has been introduced. However, there is a limited evidence base on the mechanisms involved in grooming behavior, particularly from the perspective of those who have experienced grooming. This article, drawing on an in depth case study of a 52-year-old man, using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, explores the experience of grooming from childhood into adulthood. Four key themess were identified: abuser as benefactor, a substitute parent, abuser as mind controller, and facilitating system. The findings suggest that two key relationship dynamics are helpful in understanding the process of grooming; the traumatic bond established between the abuser and the abused and relationships within the child's wider system that facilitated the child's silence. These dynamics illustrate how the sexual abuse experience is normalized, and how the occurrence of abuse and maintenance of the secret is facilitated by those in the victim's wider ecological system over a number of decades. A better understanding of the process of grooming can enhance professionals' responses to those who have experienced grooming, in particular helping to alleviate self blame associated with experiences of sexual abuse and non-disclosure.